RAWALPINDI, Aug 25: As many as 24 candidates submitted nomination papers for contesting against nine provincial and seven National Assembly seats, including six for one NA seat of Islamabad, on Sunday.

Out of the total candidates, who submitted nominations in Rawalpindi, nine were independent, seven belonged to the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam), and one each from the Pak Watan Party and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

The PML-Q candidates, who submitted their papers on Sunday were: Allama Ayaz Zamir Hashmi (NA-54), Raja Mohammad Nasir (NA-52 and PP-5), Capt Ahmad Saeed Tariq Janjua (NA-50 and PP-2), Ishtiaq Ahmad (PP-12), Atif Mehmood Kyani (PP-14), Raja Mohammad Basharat (PP-6), and Raja Kashif Salim (PP-9).

Maj Munir Azam (retired) of the Mutahida Majlis-i-Amal and Ghulam Zahid Abbas Kazmi of the Pak Watan Party (NA-54 and PP-10) also submitted their papers.

Meanwhile, Col Masaud Baig (retired) (NA-50 and PP-2), Major Rabnawaz (retired) (PP-1), Sheikh Rashid Shafiq (NA-55 and 56), Mushtaq Ahmad Kyani (PP-5), Chaudhry Abdur Rehman (PP-5), Sardar Farooq Abassi (NA-50), Shahzad Zulqarnain (PP-14), Col Sahawat (PP-9), and Mushtaq Ahmad (NA-52), submitted their nomination papers as independent candidates.

A Reporter from Islamabad adds: Six more candidates filed nomination papers against one of the two National Assembly seats from capital on Sunday.

The papers were filed before the district returning officer, Chaudhry Mohammad Younas.

Those who filed nomination papers are Gul Andaz Abbassi (Jamaat-i-Islami); Rizwan Sadiq Khan (PML-Q); Qasim Mumtaz PML (no mention of the faction); Zahid Haidri (independent); Tayyab Hussaini (independent) and Chaudhry Riffat Javed (independent).

After filing of papers by six candidates, the total number of candidates for the two seats of Islamabad has increased to 40.